Friend or Frenemy?
by The Light Inside The Darkness
Summary: When a strange girl gets attacked by a vampire and Faith takes her in, their whole lives change. Can she be trusted and who exactly is she? Eventually Faith/Buffy
1. Strange Meetings

Hey guys, it's been a long while since I've been on here. Had a case of major writers block, but I hope I'm over that now. This story takes place about 10+ years after the whole fall of Sunnydale. Didn't follow anything of the comics. I hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think. I do find it hard to write Faith though, so if you got any tips for me, I'd be glad to hear them. Anyway, onto the story!

It was a dark, damp night, the only sound that was heard was the sound of a girl's breathing. Soft footsteps hit the pavement as she looked around, her heart beating against her chest. Lights were flickering in the distance, revealing some of the street. The girl quickened her pace, the sight of light giving her some sort of relief. Her breathing quickened, her heartbeat got faster and the girl almost reached her destination. Suddenly everything stopped. The footsteps, the breathing. The only thing that was heard was the electricity coming from the lantern that was revealing the street... and something else. Looking directly into the light, the strange girl saw a figure standing there, looking straight at her. Taking a step backwards, the only thing the girl could do was watch as the figure went from standing there to rushing towards her. Taking a shaky breath, she prepared for what was coming.

As the figure quickly approached, the girl took her fighting stance, her eyes narrowing at the person in front of her. She watched as he closed in and took a swing right at her. A smirk played across her lips as she easily ducked out of his way and brought her own hand up. A loud 'humph' was heard as she hit him straight in the gut. Not wasting a moment, she brought her right leg up for a roundhouse kick that hit home. She watched as the man fell to the ground, her ears catching a loud crack.

Like it was nothing, he stood up, his eyes looking directly into hers, his face morphed into some kind of monster. He grinned at her, standing up straight. "Well, looks like this is going to be more fun than I thought." He didn't give her a moment to ponder what he had said or come up with a remark.

He charged at her, full speed. The girl's eyes widened for a moment, not believing that he could be so fast. She didn't have time to get out of the way, instead preparing for impact. She gritted her teeth when she felt his body slam into hers, hearing a crack and knowing that it was coming from her this time. She felt her back slam into the wall behind her, her head snapping back. She groaned, opening her eyes and slowly sinking to the ground. Feeling the back of her head, she brought her hand back to see blood covering her hand.

Her eyes snapped back up to the monster standing in front of her, knowing exactly what smelling and seeing this red substance would do to him. She saw him lick his lips and felt her heart tighten in her chest, knowing what was coming next. Her body felt heavy and she could feel the damage that he did to her. She had no way to get up and get out of his way, not in the state she was in. Letting out a shaky breath, she got back up with a lot of effort, holding onto the wall for support. The man in front of her chuckled.

"You're a stubborn one, ey? Well, have to say I like 'em like that." She glared up at him, blood from her head wound trailing down the side of her face.

"And you think you got me." He frowned after she had said that, wondering what she was talking about.

His unspoken question was answered when he saw a flash of something to his right. Quickly turning towards it, he was just in time to see a right hook coming right at him. His head snapped back and he stumbled backwards, grabbing at his nose.

"Y'know, how 'bout you take on someone you're own size?" He looked back up, his eyes coming to rest on a lean, brunette woman.

He growled at her when he noticed that she was holding a wooden stake in her hand. "Slayer." The woman merely chuckled, twisting the stake around.

The moment she took a step forward, the monster stepped back, knowing that this woman was more experienced than the little girl he had his eyes on. Another chuckle left her lips.

"Scared already?" She crouched down, ready to strike. "Good." Right after she rushed forward, not giving the man any chance to defend himself. She brought her fists forward, striking him left, right, left, right over and over, until she finished it with a knee to his gut. He bend forward, making it easy for her to bring her stake down, successfully dusting him.

For a moment, all that was heard was the breathing of the young girl who was still holding herself up against the wall. The mysterious woman broke the silence as she turned towards her.

"You okay?" Moving to her side, the brunette threw the arm of the girl over her shoulder, holding her up.

Answering through gritted teeth, the girl tried to hide her pain. "Yeah, nothing too bad." She saw the woman narrow her eyes at her, but chose to ignore it.

"You a Slayer?" The brunette asked, heading back the way the girl came. The girl looked up, surprised at the question. "How'd you know?" The woman didn't even look at her as she answered.

"Just that good." The girl rolled her eyes. "Right."

They kept on walking for a while, both quiet and keeping an eye on their surroundings. The girl however, found it hard to keep up the pace, her ribs starting to hurt a lot more. Eventually she just stopped, which caused the brunette to turn around.

"Not a good idea to stop here kid." She looked around them, making sure that there wasn't anyone around.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I got kinda messed up back there. My ribs are killing me." Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to will the pain away.

She heard the woman sigh, shuffle around a bit and heard a familiar click. Opening her eyes, she saw her lighting a cigarette. A small smile played across her lips when she saw that. Upon seeing the smile, the woman held out one. No words were exchanged between the two as the girl took on and lit it.

"You got a name?" The question didn't exactly come as a surprise to the girl, she just thought it would come way sooner.

"Samantha, though I prefer Sam. What 'bout you?" She answered, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"Faith." The answer was short and she knew from the tone that was all she was going to get.

"We should get movin'. Get ya checked out." Flicking her cigarette away, Faith moved back to Sam's side. Following Faith's lead, the younger girl let herself be held up by the brunette as they continued on their way.

No words were said the rest of the way, Sam concentrating to keep moving and Faith using all her senses to make sure they weren't being followed. A short while later, they were at their destination.

Sam's eyes took in where they were. The house was big, but modest in it's own way. Fences were build around, probably to keep everything that came out at night away. The garden was beautiful, flowers lined the pathway to the patio, where you could see chairs, a love seat and a coffee table. All in all, it looked pretty cozy. Faith lead the way up to the patio, helping her up the stairs and inside.

It was dark and quiet inside the house and Sam wondered if Faith lived alone. She let Faith lead her up the stairs and through the hallway, coming to stop in front of a door. Revealing the bathroom when the brunette opened the door, letting Sam through. Taking a seat on the side of the bath, the young girl groaned, feeling her ribs protest.

"Take off your shirt." Faith ordered while she rummaged through a couple cabinets.

Not objecting, Sam took her shirt off, or at least she tried to. She pretty much got stuck when she had to actually pull it over her head. Hearing Faith still rummage through the cabinets, she called out.

"Uhh, Faith? Could you give me a hand?" The rummaging stopped and a low chuckle sounded through the bathroom.

Rolling her eyes, she was relieved when she felt the shirt being pulled up and over her head. Faith knelt down in front of her.

"They're not broken. Looks like it's already healin'." Sam merely raised her eyebrows at the brunette taking care of her. Catching the look, Faith smirked at her.

"Trust me. Been there enough times kiddo. Know the difference between broken bones and bruised bones." Moving up, Faith took a look at her head wound. "Now, I'd say this one's more serious."

Sam watched as Faith got all the necessities ready and started cleaning her wound. Again, no words were said between the two of them. Finding it oddly comforting like this, Sam let a small smile play across her lips, closing her eyes for a while and just rethinking all of this over. Coming to California after sitting in a bus for hours. Finally getting there and it's dark and vampires are out. Thinking she would just find a hotel and continue on the next day, she's attacked by a vampire. Getting rescued by a strange woman who knew about her being a Slayer and letting her take her to her place where she's taking care of her.

Now that she actually thought of that, the last thing did seem kind of weird. Taking a closer look at the woman taking care of her she noticed a scar on her right cheek, barely noticeable. Brown eyes that held a lot of things in them and hands that could kill the most strong creatures but were begin very delicate at the moment. Her eyes fell back on the tiles beneath her, wondering what would be next.

"All done." Faith disposed off everything, while Sam tried to put her shirt back on. She was stopped however, when she wanted to reach her arms up.

"I got some clean clothes for ya. We can deal with everythin' else in the mornin', okay?" Sam decided to voice her question after she had said that.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, every other person would just walk me to a hospital and leave it at that. But you're taking me to your home and taking care of me." Standing up slowly, Sam gritted her teeth against the pain.

"Like I said. We'll deal with everything in the mornin'. Just get some sleep for now. I'll show ya to our guestroom."

Sam just stood there like a fool for a minute, wondering what the hell was going on.

"No offence, but... I don't know you. And you just expect me to sleep here?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

Pointing behind her, she simply answered. "You can go out and find a hotel. Bet ya won't get far though. You're choice, just givin' ya another option."

Sam seemed to think that one over. Sighing, she agreed to staying the night. Faith merely nodded and showed her where she could sleep for the night. Giving her some clothes to sleep in, Sam watched her walk off and disappear in what was probably her room.

Sitting down on her bed, the young girl took a photo out of her back pocket. Tracing the face with her fingers she sighed. Putting the picture back into the pocket of her jeans, she quickly changed into the tank top and shorts Faith got for her and crawled into bed. Glad that her body was getting some rest, Sam fell asleep instantly, just having enough time to wonder what the next day would bring for her.


	2. Questions and Secrets

Hey guys, second chapter. Thank you 'thatdamnyank' for reviewing. Not sure if I'm putting Andrew in, but I still might! Anyway, on with the story!

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Morning came all too quickly for the young girl being awoken by the sound of footsteps and voices trying to overpower each other. Opening her eyes slowly, she blinked once, twice and sat up, taking in her surroundings. Everything that happened last night slowly came back to her, the bus ride, the fight and the mysterious woman known as Faith saving her life. Sighing softly to herself, Sam ran a hand through her brown spiked hair. She never did like long hair. It took forever to wash and dry and it just got in the way of everything she did.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, deciding that now was the best time to get up. She was glad to found that her ribs barely hurt anymore. Her original thought of Faith living alone was answered by the amount of voices coming from the other side of the door. Curiosity taking the better of her, she walked over to it and opened it. Coming eye to eye with about 5 girls standing in front of the door leading to the bathroom. Her mind flashed back to last night. How Faith took care of her.

Walking into the hallway, she noticed that there were more girls coming out of various rooms, some chatting to each other and others seeming to be in a hurry. Confusion filled her mind and apparently it showed in her eyes as she heard someone address her.

"Hey, you new here?" Turning around to the voice, she saw a girl about her height, blonde short hair and a bright smile on her face. She was running her hands through her hair as though she wanted it to look messed up.

_Going for the out of bed look huh?_ Sam thought to herself, than rolled her eyes finding it stupid to actually brush your hair if you were going for that look.

Giving the girl a small smile back, she nodded. "Yeah, uhm, Faith kinda brought me back here last night."

The girl nodded, still trying to mess her hair up. "I figured, you looked kind of lost. Come on, I'll show you downstairs. Faith's probably in the kitchen." Sam just nodded again, wondering what the hell was going on around here.

As she followed the still unknown girl, Sam took a good look around her. It was dark last night so she didn't have a chance to see how big this house actually was. The hallway seemed never ending with doors on either side. The girl explained that they were all bedrooms/bathrooms. This made Sam wonder how many people really lived here. She followed the blonde - who finally stopped touching her hair - down the stairs, to the right and into what she presumed was the dining area.

There was a massive table in the middle which had to seat pretty much everyone that was living in the house and chairs around them. It was nicely decorated with paintings on the wall and plants in the corners and on the table. There were bookshelf's on either side of the room and 2 arm chairs next to them. Sam had to admit that she liked the room, but didn't have much time to look around the room, 'cause the girl led her into the next room, which was the kitchen.

Just as the blonde had said, Sam saw Faith sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying breakfast. She was accompanied by another blonde and a brunette who were also having breakfast. There was a redhead at the stove. Sam assumed she was the cook around here. The blonde was the first one to look up, acknowledging them.

"Morning Kelly, brought our guest down huh?" Kelly - now finally having a name - nodded and took a seat next to the blonde. "Yeah, found her looking a bit lost in the hallway. Figured I'd take her downstairs with me."

Sam stood there awkwardly for a minute, not really knowing what to do or say. She was saved when she heard Faith's voice.

"How are your ribs?" Her hand unconsciously moved to the sore spot.

"They don't hurt that much thankfully. I really had no idea that there were so many people living here." She continued, after everyone fell silent. She hated awkward silences, she really did.

Sam rolled her eyes when she heard Faith chuckle.

_The woman does that a lot, doesn't she_. She thought to herself.

As she eyed Faith, the brunette motioned for her to sit down which she did. Right after, a plate full of food was set down in front of her by the redhead. Giving her a grateful smile, Sam only now noticed how hungry she actually was. While she tucked into her food, the blonde spoke up again.

"The house is full of Slayers just like you. We've been training them so they can defend themselves. That way the situation you found yourself in last night wouldn't be hard for them to handle. What were you doing out at that time anyway? Apparently you already know about Slayers and Vampires, so that means you knew what's out there." Sam froze, her fork halfway to her mouth.

Her eyes shot up at the blonde and she could feel her heart starting to beat faster.

_Crap, now what am I gonna say to that?_ Calming herself down, she put her fork bat unto her plate.

"Uhm, well..." Sam started, laughing nervously and scratching the back of her neck. "I actually just got here and I was just looking for a hotel to spend the night at. I didn't really have a choice. There was nowhere I could actually stay." Sam's heart didn't slow down the slightest. Especially with the look the blonde was giving her.

Eventually she saw the blonde nod at her, a smile appearing instead. "All right, not exactly the smartest thing to do though." With a shrug, she went back to eating and Sam was left staring at her, wondering how the woman could switch between being cautious of her to believing her just like that.

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves first before we start to ask all kind of questions? The poor girl doesn't even know us." Sam looked up to see that the red head was the one that spoke. She wasn't looking at the girl, instead looking at the blonde with a face that said 'don't argue with me'.

The blonde actually looked a bit embarrassed and to Sam's surprise, she turned a slight shade of red. Again, she heard Faith chuckle and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes... yet again.

"Okay, I'm Willow," the red head started, giving her a warm smile which Sam returned. "the blonde one is Buffy, you already met Kelly," as Willow continued on, she pointed at each one at the table. "the brunette right there is Kennedy and... well you already know Faith."

Sam introduced herself the same way she did the night before with Faith and continued with her breakfast. She made sure to keep focused on her plate, not really in the mood for anymore questions. She had a feeling that they didn't really trust her and would start asking all kinds of questions she wasn't willing to answer. Her wishes however were quickly crushed when the brunette - _Kennedy right?_ - spoke up.

"So... you said you just got here right?" When Sam looked up and nodded at her, confusion in her eyes. the brunette continued. "Than where's your stuff?"

It took a while for that question to actually sink in and by that time, every eye in the room was pointed at her. Well, except for Faith's, she just seemed way to busy with her food. When it did sink in, there was only one word that came out of the young girl's mouth.

"FUCK!" The word caused everyone - except Faith - to jump up in their seats. Faith turned to glare at her, one hand pressed against her ear.

"Fuck kid, you tryin' to get me deaf or somethin'?" The question was lost on Sam as she started rambling under breath and stood up, intended to leave.

"Damn bus and friggin' driver not giving me enough time to get my freakin' stuff."

Sam was almost out of the door when she felt her arm being grabbed and got turned around. Coming face to face with Faith, who looked annoyed with her.

"The hell you think you're going?" Now Sam looked annoyed. "What do you think? I'm getting my damn stuff." Trying to pull herself free from Faith's grasp, the young girl found herself not able too. She watched as the brunette went from annoyed to amused in a matter of seconds.

"Right..." She drawled, still watching as Sam tried to free herself.

Getting more and more irritated, Sam decided to give up. "You can get your stuff. Kennedy, you're goin' with her." Just like that, Faith let go of Sam's arm and went back to her breakfast.

Kennedy, who was originally as amused as the rest of them in the room as they watched Sam trying to get herself out of Faith's grasp, gave Faith an 'are you kidding' look. Faith didn't even have to say anything, as all she did was give the brunette a pointed stare. Kennedy complained, but got up none the less. Telling Sam to follow her, she brushed past the younger girl, not even checking if she did. Sam quickly followed, not in the mood for any bitching directed at her. "Can I at least change?!"

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The ride to the bus station was quiet, the only sound came from the radio which was playing softly. Kennedy noticed that Sam was nervous, she kept fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Kennedy blew it off as nothing, knowing she'd be nervous if she were in that situation too. After what seemed like a lifetime to Sam, Kennedy pulled over. Before the brunette had even killed the engine, the passenger door was open and Sam was already stalking over to the entrance.

Shaking her head, the older one of the two stepped out, deciding to just wait for her at the car. She couldn't believe Faith had made her drive her here. She'd already had enough babysitting to do with all the new Slayers. Now she had to drive one halfway across town for a bag? She knew she couldn't take Faith - trust me, she tried... several times - or else Faith would've been the one waiting on a teenager.

At the same time, Sam all but burst into the bus station, looking around for her bag. Her heart was thumping loudly. She knew what was in her bag and she didn't know what she would do if she lost it. Storming up to the man that looked bored out of his mind and pretended to actually work, she slapped her hands down on the counter. The man was startled out of whatever he was doing and looked up.

"Where's my bag?" She tried to sound calm, but her voice came out a octave higher than she intended. Trying to look past the man and see if the bag was there, she felt her nerves slowly get worse.

The man merely scoffed, not in the mood to deal with a over-emotional teenager. Rolling his eyes, he answered.

"If you mean the bag that was left here last night, it's in my office." His tone was dull and irritated. Sam however didn't care.

Her eyes shot back up to the man. "Well, go get it." Hearing that the bag was here made her nerves disappear. All that she cared about at that moment was to get it back and it made her voice sound pretty scary. The man looked surprised at the tone and she swore she saw a flash of fear flash through his eyes.

The man stuttered for a moment, before disappearing into the back, emerging moments later with a red/black bag in his hands. Sam released the breath she had been holding since he walked off and all but grabbed the bag out of his hands. Calling a hasty 'thanks' she stormed back outside and back to the car.

Kennedy who had seen her coming, got back into the car and started the engine back up. She looked at her passenger who was furiously rummaging through her bag in search of something. She heard her mumbling. "Where is it?" Raising an eyebrow, she wondered what the girl was looking for.

After about a minute or so, she heard a sigh of relief and saw a smile appear on the girl's face. She didn't have a chance to see what it was, seeing as Sam didn't take it out of her bag. Kennedy didn't give a second thought to it, instead focused on heading back to the house.

"You got everything?" She was sure to ask that before heading back though. She really wasn't in the mood to find out that the girl forgot something *again* and be the one to drive her back here for the second time.

Sam nodded, the smile still plastered on her face and relief clearly showing in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure." Kennedy took another look at the girl, before pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road.

Sam frowned, knowing that Kennedy wasn't exactly happy to be the one to come with her. Figuring she could at least try to make the best of it, Sam decided to strike up a conversation

"Look, I'm sorry that you were forced to come with me. I could have easily gone on my own." Kennedy glanced at her.

"Faith wouldn't have let you. We're dealing with other things than just Vamps and Demons. Things that come out during the day and seem to know exactly who to go after." Kennedy turned right, stopping at a red traffic light.

"Wait, but I thought they only came out at night? I never heard of anything coming out during the day." Sam's voice held something Kennedy couldn't place.

Taking a hard look at the girl, she saw confusion clearly showing in her eyes. But there was something else, something Kennedy couldn't decipher. Deciding to answer her question, Kennedy glanced at the traffic light.

"It started happenin' recently. Some of the girls took a short cut after going shopping and got attacked in an alley. One thing we do know is that they won't attack if there's a crowd." Sam nodded.

"Well that's good right? I mean, all you have to do is make sure you're surrounded by people. That shouldn't be too hard." Kennedy gave a humorless laugh at that.

"It shouldn't." She started, hitting the gas pedal when she saw light turn green. "If it weren't for them looking like humans and following us until we're out of the crowd to attack us. Seems like they have half a brain… and actually use it." She heard Sam hum.

Glancing at the girl next to her, she saw her deep in thought. Frowning, she asked her own question.

"How much do you know about this stuff anyway?" Making a left at the next corner, she heard Sam take a breath. One that she held a little bit too long for Kennedy's liking.

"My uh, parents knew about all of this. They pretty much taught me everything." Kennedy didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. Maybe she made it up, or maybe her parents were a sore subject.

One thing Kennedy did know though, was that she was keeping a close eye on the girl. There was something about her that didn't sit right with her. And even if it was the last thing she did, she was going to find out what it was. She knew that there were girls out there that went rogue. For all they knew, the teenager could be one of them.

Turning the radio up a little, she gave the girl a silent message that the rest of the ride would be in silence. When Kennedy did, Sam felt her heart skip a beat. It was all that was necessary for her to know that the brunette didn't trust her. Cursing mentally, she knew she should've gotten her story together before she actually decided to go to California. But she was too excited and thought that she would be fine. Guess she was wrong and she hadn't even been there for a day.

Both women were quiet during the ride back, Kennedy knowing she should tell Faith and Buffy about this and Sam was coming up with answers to questions she knew were going the be asked. When they got back home, the first thing Sam noticed was that everything was quiet in house.

"They're in the back yard and in class." Kennedy answered her unasked question. Without any words, Kennedy walked straight back to the kitchen, leaving Sam standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Right. Now what?" Shaking her head when she knew there was no one around to answer that question, she was torn between staying and just leaving. After thinking it over for a few moments, she realized she hadn't even thanked any of them for everything.

Deciding to just thank them and then leave, she started going the way Kennedy went. As she reached the kitchen, she could already hear Faith's voice ringing out giving orders. Opening the back door, she stopped at what she saw.

There were about 30 girls all paired up and sparring with each other. Sam could see right away that they already had some training. The way their bodies moved as they circled each other and threw punches left and right. Faith was walking around, giving tips here and there. Stepping forward, she let the door fall shut.

The sound made Faith look up. Sam gave a small smile, taking a seat on the steps leading down to the backyard. She saw Faith say something to Kennedy who nodded, before she went her way. All Sam was hoping was that the brunette hadn't had enough time to tell Faith what had happened in the car. As the woman took a seat next to her, she nodded at the group.

"What do you think?" She didn't know what Faith meant with that question. Luckily, she elaborated.

"Think you're ready to join 'em? From what I saw last night you could use some training." Sam scoffed. "How do you know I didn't plan that from the start?"

Faith turned to her, an amused glint in her eye. "Then I really don't wanna know what happens to ya if you don't plan anythin'." Sam sighed, knowing the retort was just plain stupid. Getting back to the original question, she turned to Faith.

"Do you expect me to stay?" The brunette shrugged. "Unless you got somethin' better to do." Sam looked back down at the ground. "Guess not." She mumbled. "You sure I can stay?" Looking back up at Faith, she awaited her answer.

"Like I said. Unless you got somethin' better to do." Sam couldn't help the smile that broke through. First thing Faith noticed were the dimples that seemed to make her younger. Nodding her head in the direction of the girls, she spoke. "Now get out there. Let me see what you got."

"W-what, now?" Faith, chuckled as she stood up. "Yeah, now." Walking down the steps, she yelled out at Kennedy. "Yo Ken! You wanna test our new girl?" As Sam looked at her, she noticed Kennedy looking right at her. "Sure." The answer was directed at Faith, but the look was directed at her.

Swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat, Sam followed the older brunette down the steps. As if things couldn't get any worse, she saw all the girls stop what they were doing and turn to their new guest. Sam sighed, wishing she would've just left when she had the chance. She heard the girls start to whisper, but didn't want to pay too much attention to it.

As she took her chance and Kennedy did the same, Sam took a deep calming breath. Not that it actually helped. She saw a smirk appear on Kennedy's face and before she knew it, the brunette was charging at her.

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Hate me or love me, but I'm stopping here. Next chapter Sam and Kennedy fight. Who will win? And what is Sam hiding? Leave your thoughts. Reviews always make me happy.


	3. Fighting and Talking

Hey guys! I decided to update every Monday. I hope I can keep this up. The long awaited fighting scene is up, hope you guys like it. Anyway, on with the story!

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Previously on Friend or Frenemy?: She saw a smirk appear on Kennedy's face and before she knew it, the brunette was charging at her.

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Sam ducked and rolled out of the way of Kennedy's oncoming fist. She quickly stood up, ready to evade another attack. Kennedy charged at her again, this time making a quick combo. Sam didn't have any trouble blocking the two hits and kick that came at her, retorting with her own kick that the brunette blocked.

Sam knew that she had to keep going if she wanted to even have a slight chance. Her plan right now was to keep Kennedy busy and lok for any weak points or openings. Moving in, she hit Kennedy with her own combo. Hitting her twice, she brought her foot up for an upwards kick. The brunette blocked this, but this left her lower body vulnerable. Twisting on the foot that was still on the ground, she kicked Kennedy straight in the gut.

Feeling her foot connect, she moved in yet again, her fists moving at a rapid pace, hitting the brunette now and again. She saw Kennedy struggling to keep up with her and block the punches she threw. Sam smirked, figuring that if she kept this up, this fight would be over soon. Her smirk was short lasted however, when Kennedy suddenly twisted and crouched low to the ground, causing Sam to lose her balance.

Kennedy took this opportunity to sweep her feet out from under her. Sam hit the ground with a loud thump, the air being pushed out of her lungs. Kennedy didn't waste any time as she pinned her down, this time the smirk visible on the brunette's once again. Sam scowled, trying to get some air back in her lungs.

Kennedy looked down at her. "Looks like you're gonna need more than that." The brunette still had a firm grip on her, but Sam saw that she was being cocky. Narrowing her eyes, she chuckled. Kennedy opened her mouth to say something, but Sam was quick.

Bucking her hips and shoulders up, she easily flipped Kennedy off of her. Standing up, she heard the girls that were watching them whisper. Sam knew that the only reason she actually got Kennedy off of her was because the girl had already thought she had won. She watched as said brunette stood up and dusted herself off, glaring straight at her.

Sam grinned. "You were saying?" These three words were all that were needed to rile her up. Kennedy's glare intensified and she charged at the teenager once again. This time however, Sam was prepared for whatever she threw at her.

When Kennedy got close and got ready to throw a punch Sam's way, the girl stepped forward, crouched down low and set off on both hands, throwing her feet up in the air. Because Kennedy was going at high speed and didn't have any time to slow down or get out of the way, Sam's feet hit her right in her stomach. Bringing them up, she had no trouble to throw Kennedy over her and down on the ground. The older girl hit the ground with a hard smack and Sam swore she saw some of the girls flinch.

Moving towards her opponent, she slid the knife Kennedy hid in her boot out of its holster and placed it against the brunette's neck. Kennedy was still trying t get oxygen in her lungs and wasn't in any state to actually fight back. Choosing to glare intensely at the girl who had her pinned on the ground, she saw Sam smirk and wink.

Faith chose this moment to step in and end the fight, knowing when Kennedy got back up, Sam wouldn't stand a chance. "All right." She started as she walked to the pair. "Why don't ya get off Ken? Give her a chance to breathe." Faith smirked at Kennedy, surprised that the girl managed to beat her.

Seeing the look she got, Kennedy rolled her eyes, watching as Sam got off of her and stood up. The young girl held out her hand for Kennedy to take. Eyeing it for a second, the brunette grabbed it and stood up, again dusting herself off.

"Don't get cocky, I let you win." Sam heard Faith sigh, the famous chuckle escaping her lips yet again. Kennedy eyed Faith for a second, before stalking past them both back inside.

The Slayer turned towards Sam. "I think you hurt her ego, kid. Gotta say, you were pretty impressive there." Sam smiled up at her, a blush tainting her cheeks red. "Thanks. Though I think I was just lucky."

Faith shrugged. "Luck or not, ya still beat her." Turning back to the group who were still staring at them, the older brunette told them to get back to work.

All of them quickly paired back up and started sparring again. Approving off what she saw, Faith turned back to Sam. "You can dump you're stuff in the room ya slept in last night." She said, seeing the bag sitting next to the door. "That is if ya want to deal with Ken." Sam's eyes went from her bag to Faith's. "What do you mean 'if I want to deal with Ken?" Faith smirked at her, her eyes going back over the fighting girls.

"You're the first to ever beat 'er. She ain't gonna let that slide." Sam sighed. _Great, and she's already up my ass about that damn car ride._ She felt Faith place a hand on her shoulder.

"Nah, don't worry. She's gotta get through me first. Ain't letting her kill ya off kid. Wanna rub the fact that ya beat her in her face for a while." Sam couldn't help but laugh at that, feeling slightly better. Faith merely winked at her. "Now get your stuff to your room." Sam nodded, turned around and headed for her bag.

Casting a glance over her shoulder, she saw Faith already giving tips left and right. Smiling at the sighed, Sam hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked in, having no idea where she woke up that morning.

Deciding to just walk up the stairs, Sam figured she might recognize something. When she was standing in the hallway however, she had no idea what room it was. _It all looks exactly the same. _She thought. Sighing, she started walking forward slowly, remembering that she did walk for a while before she came to the stairs that morning with _What was her name again? Mandy? Candy? God I'm bad at remembering names._ Sam frowned, her mind actually on the name of the girl that helped her out this morning instead of looking for her room.

Shaking her head, she looked at where she was. Looking at the door in front of her, she merely shrugged. _If it's someone's room it should have their belongings right? Wait, that's actually a great idea Sam! Just check every room for the one that looks like it belongs to no one and you've got your room._ The smile that broke out on Sam's face let her dimples show to the fullest.

Grabbing the handle of the door in front of her, she decided to start right here. Opening the door, the first thing she saw was a room full of stuff. _Well, not my room then_. Just as she was about to shut the door, she saw something coming her way.

Ducking out of the way of whatever it was, her eyes shot through the room, coming to rest on a girl with long brown hair and green eyes. Sam's eyes widened. "Oh, I-I'm so sorry. I'm just lookin' for my room and I have no freakin' idea where it is." Throwing a quick smile the girl's way, she moved to close the door.

"Wait." Stopping with her hand on the door handle, she looked up. "Are you the new girl Buffy was talking about?" Sam blinked a few times_. Buffy? Oh! Right, blonde girl, weird name and stupid questions. Told you I'm bad with names._ Sam thought, straightening back up.

"Uhh, yeah. Faith told me that the room I used last night was mine, but I've got no idea where it is. Everything looks the same to me." She said shrugging. The girl laughed and walked towards her.

Holding her hand out, Sam shook it. "I'm Dawn, Buffy's sister." Dawn smiled at her. "Samantha, but call me Sam." She answered. "Think you could help me find my room?" The teenager asked. Dawn nodded. "Sure." Sam followed the older girl a couple doors down. When Dawn opened the door, Sam actually remembered some of the things. _Probably the only room left here._ Sam thought to herself, finding it odd that Dawn found it so easily.

"Here you go." With a smile Sam's way, Dawn walked past her and was on her way. Sam didn't mind, looking around for something that made it easier to know where her room was.

Seeing a painting hanging on the wall opposite her door, Sam made sure to remember it. Walking inside her room, she dropped her bag on her bed. Taking a moment to really look around the room, she saw a desk against one wall with a bookcase next to it. The bed was on the other side of the room, a dresser next to the door. The room was pretty big, at least bigger than what the teenager was used to.

Grabbing her bag, Sam went to work. Pairing everything up, she cleared her bag and placed it all the way under in her closet. Closing the doors, Sam walked towards the window, wondering what kind of view she had. Looking outside, she actually saw the backyard. The girls were still at it, but it seemed that Faith had changed it up a little.

There were girls fighting and there were others who were sitting down. As Sam looked on, she noticed that it was some kind of knock-out round. Every time one girl was down, she was replaced with another. This went on and on. The teenager smiled, figuring she'd like it here. Letting her eyes roam the backyard, she went looking for Faith. When she found her however, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Kennedy was there talking to her. Sam had no idea what it was about, but she had an idea.

Looking on, she saw Faith shake her, blowing her off. This caused Kennedy to get angry and she started waving her arms around, trying to get her point across. The teenager saw Faith turn towards Kennedy, a frown on her face. She said something to Kennedy, which caused her to calm down somewhat. Watching Faith closely, she saw the woman run her hand through her hair and shrug. She said something to Kennedy, before turning back to the girls.

Sam's eyes rested on Kennedy, wondering what the brunette would do now. She watched as Kennedy stalked back towards the back porch and sat down, her eyes fixed on the girls. Sam had sinking feeling that the girl had gotten through to Faith.

_Well, there's only one way to find that out._ Sam thought. Walking out of her room, she decided to head back outside. As she reached the last step of the stairs however, she saw one of the girls leave the dining room with a water bottle in her hand. Sam just smiled at her, intended to walk past her. The plan failed however when the girl started talking to her.

"Pretty impressive what you did out there." She said, taking a sip from her bottle. Sam looked at her. "Uhh, thanks. I was actually headed back outside." She said, pointing behind her. The girl merely shrugged.

"Go ahead. Just... Never mind." Sam frowned, looking on as the girl took another sip from her bottle.

"Just what?" She asked. The black haired, brown eyes Californian looked at the teenager.

"Do you like Faith?" Sam blinked a couple of times. "She saved my life so... I guess." The brunette answered truthfully, wondering what the girl was getting at.

"Well, don't get too close to her. The woman's got quite a past." Again, she took a sip from her bottle. It started to piss Sam off actually. "Would you just spit it out already!" She almost yelled. The girl took a quick step back, surprised.

"Uhh... Well." She started, quickly continuing on when she saw Sam start to glare at her. "She killed some people back in Sunnydale. That and she almost killed Buffy, Willow and some of their friends. I've never really met the rest so I don't know them. I however, would never have forgiven her. I mean, Buffy just wanted to help her and all Faith did was blow her off and then later join up with some giant snake guy who planned to kill everyone. If it wasn't for Buffy that might have even happened. All I'm saying is that you should think twice about getting close to her. You never know when she might turn on us again." The girl gave a shrug and walked straight past a fuming Sam.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down; knowing that for them there was no reason for her to act that way. It didn't stop the teenager from wanting to strangle that girl however_. Okay Sam, just calm down. Just..._ Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a voice next to her.

"Damn, word travels fast huh?" Sam almost jumped straight through the roof. Turning towards the person standing next to her, she saw Faith, her hands in front of her, an amused glint in her eyes, though something else that Sam couldn't make out.

"Fuck Faith, you scared the shit outta me!" The teenager nearly yelled, trying to get her heartbeat and breathing back under control.

"Didn't mean for that. Figured you'd already sensed I was standing right next to ya." Faith's tone had some kind of mock to it. Sam just scowled at her, rolling her eyes.

"Well whatever." Both of them just stood there for a moment, an awkward silence filling the room. Sam, always hating awkward silences, opened her mouth to say something.

"I thought you were uhh, training the girls?" Faith shrugged. "Ken's takin' care of that." Sam nodded, recalling what she saw earlier. Maybe Faith came looking for her because of that. She felt her nerves kick in, hoping that that wasn't true.

"You seen B?" Sam just looked at her, wondering who the hell 'B' was. Faith chuckled. "Buffy, y'know. Blonde chick, met her this mornin'." Faith drawled, again, that mocking tone in her voice. Sam rolled her eyes.

"No... Saw her sister though." Faith nodded. "You settled in?" Instead of answering her question, Sam retorted with her own. "Why are you so interested in me?" Sam saw something flicker in Faith's eyes, instantly regretting the question.

"Y'know what. Never mind." Faith stalked past her. Sam sighed and turned around. "I'm sorry!" Faith stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I just..." "You just listened to what Gina told ya." Faith continued on, turning around fully now.

Sam gave her a confused look. Faith sighed. "The girl ya just talked to." "Oh, I'm not really good with names." Sam told her, a crooked smile on her face. "And no... I didn't. If you would really be like that than you wouldn't have saved my life yesterday. I'm just curious... And I saw Kennedy talk to you."

She saw Faith smirk. "And you thought that I'd come lookin' for you and what... kick ya out?" Sam sighed. "I know how it must've looked. I'm just... not really used to being asked all these questions. Besides... my parents are kind of a sore spot." _Figure I could go with that._

The older brunette just nodded. "Look, you're life is your life. I ain't messin' with that. 'Sides, Ken just doesn't like you. And when she doesn't like someone she thinks that everythin' they do has an ulterior motive. If I were you, I'd stay away from her. At least for a while." Sam nodded, her mind going back to when she and said brunette were in the car. Frowning, she thought of something else.

"What about those things that attack in bright daylight? What are those?" She saw Faith think for a couple of seconds.

"We ain't sure exactly. I'm sure Ken told ya some of it. We don't know anythin' else. Red's still lookin' into it." Sam merely nodded, now wondering who 'Red' was. Faith turned around, a smirk on her face. Walking off, she called over her shoulder.

"Willow." With that she turned the corner, leaving Sam standing there, wondering what everyone else was called.

* * *

Ending it here. I actually had a lot of trouble writing the fighting scene, so I hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you guys think!


	4. There's a New Big Bad in Town

Hey guys, another chapter like promised. School and work are starting up for me again this week, so I hope I'll be able to keep posting on Mondays. I'm definitely gonna try! Anyway, not much going on in this chapter, just letting you guys know a bit more about the new big bad ;-) Anyway, on with the chapter

* * *

Sam had taken her time to look around the house. She figured she might use the time to get a feeling of it. She had found five bathrooms and uncountable bedrooms. There was a pretty big living room, a study, a conservatory and she had found several other rooms where the doors were closed. She hadn't bothered going in there, afraid someone might be working. She had already seen the kitchen and the dining area, so she walked back outside.

Faith had already dismissed the girls, so she had the yard to herself. It was only now that she saw how big it really was. There was also a small patio to the far left and a swing set close to that. Sam walked down the steps, feeling the sunlight on her skin. She smiled, the feeling warming her from the outside and inside.

Sam's tour got interrupted when she heard a lot of commotion coming from inside. Jogging back up the steps, Sam stepped into the house. Straining her ears, she heard voices coming from the living room. She didn't get very far however, seeing as everyone had heard something and came down to see what was going on.

Tugging on a sleeve of a girl in front of her, she saw her turn around. "What's going on?" The girl shrugged. "I don't know. I think someone got attacked again, but I can't see anything." Sam nodded, frowning as she remembered what Kennedy and Faith had told her.

Figuring she couldn't see anything anyway, Sam walked back into the kitchen. She saw that she wasn't the only ones, other girls sharing her train of thought. She gave them a small smile as she sat down, asking the same thing she had asked the other girl.

"Sasha was attacked. She was out shopping for groceries when he had just shown up and attacked her. He hadn't even bothered to check how many people were around them." Sam's eyes widened.

"So everyone saw?" The two girls nodded. "He looked human, so all they think is that a psycho decided to attack a random girl."

Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing. Vampires and Demons were hard enough to deal with at night as they were and now they just attacked whenever they felt like it. All people would think, was that there were killers on the loose, not knowing what was really going on. No one actually knew what was going on though; it wasn't possible for whatever was going on to be happening during the day. Sam and the two other girls heard how everyone walked off slowly, their voices and footsteps disappearing somewhere in the house. They turned when the door opened and Buffy and Willow walked in.

The first thing Sam noticed that the two friends looked distraught and utterly confused. They silently took a seat, Buffy running a hand through her hair. Willow looked at the three girls sitting at the kitchen table with them. Sam saw that the redhead didn't know whether or not to tell them. Buffy however, spoke up, knowing that they needed to know.

"The rest pretty much already knows. What attacked Sasha... was a vampire." The blonde heard two gasps. Looking up, she saw that the two girls - who were friends with Sasha - looked absolutely shocked. Turning her eyes towards Sam, she saw that the brunette had gone pale, her eyes wide.

Sparing a glance with Willow, Buffy took a deep breath. "Sasha is going to be fine." Her two friends were relieved and Buffy continued. "They planned this however. The last time they attacked, they were relentless, not sparing one of us a chance to fight back. The vampire easily had the time to finish it off." The three girls were looking at Buffy intently, knowing that she was keeping something from them. Buffy took another deep breath. "There was a message on her back... 'We're Coming'."

The kitchen was silent, all of the occupants mulling over what was just said to them. It was the girl that was seated next to Sam who spoke up. "And the rest already knows this?" Buffy and Willow nodded. "I'm sure a couple of them heard what Sasha said. Word travels fast around here." Sam frowned, being taken back to Faith earlier that day.

Shaking her head, she cleared her mind, knowing that wasn't what she should be focusing on. So now they knew that there were Vampires who walked among them in broad daylight. How long would it take for them to pick them off one by one if they weren't safe when they went outside? It didn't matter if the sun was shining or not. Though hearing that they could walk during the day, brought another thought to Sam. Looking up at Buffy, she saw the blonde raise her head, feeling that the brunette was looking at her.

"If they can walk outside right now." Sam started, pointing outside where it was still light. "Are they able to come in without an invitation?" She saw both Buffy and Willow look at each other, the thought not yet having occurred to them. Turning back towards the teenager, Buffy spoke. "I guess we'll have to find out.

* * *

It was later that same day that Sam was on her bed in her room, reading a book. Or at least trying to. She had caught a glimpse of Sasha earlier. Her whole right leg was bandaged, as was her left arm. She wasn't lying on her back and Sam knew that this was because of 'the message'. That was another thing that kept Sam from focusing on her book. Since when did Vampires leave messages? Since when did they walk outside? All of this just didn't make any sense and Sam felt herself getting anxious. It was the fact that she wasn't able to do anything, even if they had a plan. She had only been here for a day and she didn't know anyone really.

Throwing her book away, Sam fell back onto her bed, willing the thoughts to leave her head. A knock startled her back upwards. Giving the okay to come in, the door opened and she saw Dawn stand in her doorway, a small smile on her face. "Hey, we're having this huge meeting. Figured you'd want to be there." Sam nodded a thank you.

Getting up from her bed, she followed Dawn downstairs and into the living room. Pretty much everyone was already there, whispering what was going on and talking about Sasha and the attack. Sam looked around for a spot, before she saw Kelly waving at her. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she walked over to the girl, planting herself down next to her.

"What do you think this is about?" Kelly whispered, her eyes darting to everyone who was standing in front of them. Sam merely shrugged, having a pretty good idea what this was about. Everyone's whispers died down when Buffy stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"I think all of you already know what's going on, but to clear up any obscurities we called everyone together." No one whispered anymore and Sam swore she saw a couple of girls hold their breath. Her eyes darted back to Buffy when the blonde continued.

"All of you know that Sasha was attacked by a Vampire. That said Vampire also left a message. 'We're Coming'. It's a clear message that's no doubt meant to scare us. But most of you know that this is nothing compared to what we've already been through. Whatever is making these Vampire's walk around in broad daylight is out there and we will find them." Willow stepped up next to Buffy.

"The only thing that could do this is a spell. There was also a ring called the Gem of Amara, but this was destroyed years ago. Also, this ring would only grant the Vampire who was wearing it immunity to their weaknesses. Yes, Sasha was attacked by only one Vampire, but Heidi and Bridgette were attacked by a group of Vampires." Buffy continued on.

"Willow will try to find who is responsible for this. Until then I want none of you to go outside alone or with the two of you. You will not stand a chance against them. If you go outside, find three or more girls to take with you. Always and I cannot stress this enough, bring a sword. The ring Willow mentioned made staking a Vampire impossible. You will stand more of a chance with a sword."

"And bring your phone." It was Faith that had spoken up. "If there are Vamps tryin' to kill you, find a place to hide and call." Buffy and Willow both nodded.

"Also... we are not sure if whatever this spell does also gives the Vampires the ability to walk into a house uninvited. This is why Faith and I will take turns in guarding the doors tonight." Sam watches as everyone broke into whispers again, some scared, others confused.

"Doubt they will come here." Sam heard Kelly whisper and glanced at her. "The house is filled with Slayers, no matter how strong they are, they'll be outnumbered." Sam narrowed her eyes.

_Maybe I was wrong about her._ Looking at Kelly now, Sam saw a girl who was more than capable of fending for herself. She saw confidence in her eyes. When Kelly turned to look at her though, all that disappeared and she gave the brunette a crooked smile.

Sam shook her head, a smile gracing her lips. "All right, calm down." Again, everything went silent as Buffy spoke. Sam clearly saw how much respect they held for her. As her eyes went over to Faith, she thought back to what Gina had told her.

Still, as she looked at the confident brunette, she couldn't believe that it was true. Faith hadn't said anything to defend herself and tell Sam that it wasn't true though and Sam knew that it had happened. This led her to wondering how many other girls thought about Faith this way. Do they respect her as much as they respect Buffy, or is it because they fear Faith? Sam didn't know and frankly, she didn't want to know. All she knew was that Faith had saved her life and even kept checking in with her throughout the day how she was doing. Granted, it still may have been because of what Kennedy told her, but something told Sam that Faith wasn't like that. Turning her eyes and attention back to Buffy, she didn't notice that Faith had seen her staring.

"If you do go out, be sure to tell me, Willow or Faith where you're going. If you can't find any of us, then tell your buddy." Sam frowned. _Buddy? Everyone's paired up?_

"Guys," Sam noticed how Buffy's voice changed from on with authority to one that was full of concern for them. "don't do anything stupid. Don't even leave without letting us know even if it is just around the corner. I don't want you guys to put yourself in unnecessary danger." It was as if everyone simply understood that this was the end of the meeting. Everyone stood up and left the room. Willow walked off as well, probably trying to find whoever was behind this.

Sam slowly stood up, deciding to ask about this whole buddy thing. Walking over to the two original Slayers, Sam stuffed her hands in her pockets. Buffy and Faith saw her coming, Buffy giving her a small smile which Sam returned.

"Uh, I kinda caught the whole buddy thing." Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I figured you'd catch that." Buffy pointed at Faith. "That's yours."

"Really, B?" Sam watched as Buffy gave her a wink, before turning to the brunette. "What? Is something wrong?" Faith frowned, recognizing the 'innocent' tone.

"Nah, nothing's wrong Blondie." Faith smirked at her, knowing that the nickname she had for Buffy always got to her. And it did the same thing this time.

"I thought I told you not to call me that Faith! You already call me B, as if Buffy is short enough." The blonde faced Faith, her hands poised on her hips. Faith shrugged.

"B sounds better than Buffy... B."

"Well, whatever F. You just don't have enough creativity to come up with a decent nickname."

"What would ya call yourself?"

"Well... Buffy."

Faith laughed. "Right and I ain't got no creativity."

"Buffy already is a nickname Faith! Besides, I could start calling you Fay."

Sam watched as the two bickered back and forth and she briefly wondered if the two got a thing going on. When Buffy called Faith 'Fay' however, she saw the brunette narrow her eyes.

"I thought I told ya not to call me that again." Buffy shrugged.

"You call me Blondie, I call you Fay." It was a simple proposition and Faith actually thought about it.

"Fine... I'll find somethin' else to call ya." Buffy's jaw seriously just dropped at Faith's word and she quickly hit her.

"Hey! What'd I do?"

Buffy huffed. "You're unbelievable."

"I know." The brunette wiggled her eyebrows at the blonde, a smirk on her face.

Buffy rolled her eyes, before turning back to the teenager that was watching this exchange with an amused look. Sighing, Buffy left Sam to Faith and told the two she was in her office.

Sam turned towards Faith, her hand waving in the direction of Buffy. "Are you two?" She let it hang there, waiting for Faith to catch up. When she did, the brunette laughed it off.

"B? Nah, that girl drives serious stick." Sam just stared at her for a moment, wondering where she learned how to speak. Faith raised her eyebrow. "So, you're really my 'buddy?" Air quoting the word, she waited for Faith to answer.

"Yeah, pretty normal the first week or two. Keep an eye on ya, see what you're capable off and then we'll pair ya up with one of the girls." Sam nodded, finding it a plausible explanation.

"So, who do I talk to if I can't find any of you?" Faith seemed to ponder that. "Talk to Ken." Sam gave Faith an 'are you kidding' look. Faith chuckled. "She ain't that bad kid. There's just a reason that she's actin' the way she is. Give 'er some time."

Giving Sam a wink, Faith walked off, letting her wonder what the reason was. Sighing softly, Sam figured she could give her book another go.

* * *

And the end of this chapter. It's not as long as the other ones, but like I told you, just letting you in on the new big bad. So, what do you guys think is going on? And how will things go on?


	5. First Patrol

Hey guys! This story is going pretty good up until now! I hope you like it. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, it really means a lot to me and it inspires me to keep writing, even though my schedule is filling up with work and homework. Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

Sam had been in the house for over a week now. She was starting to settle in and she had made some friends. Kelly was pretty much the first one and now that Sam had gotten to know the girl a bit, she actually liked her. She was more of a tomboy, but could also be really girly at times. Sam often wondered how she pulled it off. Some of her other friends included a shy Asian girl named Sumiko, a quiet 'I don't care' girl named Flora and Sasha, the one that got attacked by a demon the week before.

She had recovered fully thanks to Slayer Healing, which left Sam in awe really. The four of them were kind of a group, they just clicked. Sam was happy about this, she had felt left out in a way and now that she knew some of the girls (not counting everyone she should know but kept forgetting their names) she felt like a part of them.

The past week had gone smoothly. With the new rules, no girls had gotten killed. Some had gotten hurt during patrol, but that was something that could always happen. Everyone had taken these rules seriously and had told their buddy where they went. Sam hadn't left the house in the past week and she figured that she wouldn't really see Faith at all.

What surprised her though, was that Faith kept in touch with her throughout the day the whole week. Being honest, she noticed that they were getting close. Sam found herself telling Faith things she wouldn't even tell her three new friends. It kind of shocked her at first, but she felt safe and comfortable with Faith.

Faith had noticed the same thing and frankly, she didn't mind. She liked the girl. She held something that Faith couldn't place but this made her curious about the girl. The two of them weren't the only ones noticing and while Faith was smoking a cigarette outside, a certain blonde took this opportunity to talk with the brunette.

Faith blew out some smoke, watching Buffy approach, a thoughtful look in her eyes. Raising a suggestive eyebrow when the blonde looked at her, she took another drag.

"Hey." Buffy took her stance next to her Sister Slayer, leaning against the tree behind the two.

Faith nodded her acknowledgment.

"So." The blonde started, wondering if she should cut right to the chase or loop around it first. "How ya doing?"

Faith looked at her. "You came all the way out here to ask me how I'm doin'?" When the blonde nodded, Faith raised her eyebrows.

"What? A girl can't be interested in how her friend is doing?" Buffy shot back. Faith laughed.

"Now I know somethin' is definitely up. Wanna fill me in?" Buffy sighed, figuring she should've just gotten right to the point anyway. Faith didn't like chit-chat.

"Fine, fine. I've noticed that... you and Sam... have uhm." Buffy trailed off, wondering how to say this without making it look bad. "Gotten close." Faith waited for her to elaborate.

"So?" She asked, when the blonde said nothing further. Buffy turned to look at her. "I've heard rumors." It was all that was needed for Faith to flick her cigarette away and turn to Buffy.

The blonde quickly held up her hands. "Hey! I said I heard rumors, doesn't mean that I think the same thing Faith. I was just wondering what's going on." She saw Faith relax instantly, the guarded look in her eyes slightly dissipating. The brunette shrugged, resuming her earlier position and reaching in her pocked for her pack of cigarettes.

"Must you do that?" Buffy made a face at her that held clear distaste. "You made me flick my half one away." Faith retorted, waving in the direction where it landed.

"I made you?! You did that yourself." Buffy huffed, crossing her arms. "You still haven't answered my question." She heard Faith sigh. Turning towards the brunette, she saw her light her cigarette.

"I like her. That's all." Buffy knew that tone. It meant that she wasn't in the mood to talk about this. Well, Buffy wasn't in the mood to let Faith get away with this so easy.

"Well, that's too bad, because I do. What kind of like do you mean? Like as in 'I like ponies' sort of way, or like as in 'damn, I like her and want to...' You know." Faith gave her a look.

"Really B? You used ponies and sex in the same sentence." Buffy just gave her her famous look, making Faith roll her eyes.

"Neither. Can't really explain the feelin'. It's just there." Faith already wasn't good with words and having to explain what she felt around Sam was just plain impossible to her.

Thinking about it, she herself didn't even know what it meant. All she knew was that she liked her and that she wanted to protect her. She knew that the plan for tonight was patrolling with her; see how she handled a real situation after training for a week, but it made Faith feel all weird inside. She didn't know why, but she didn't want Sam to go with them. Frowning, she looked at her half-smoked cigarette. Flicking it away, she turned to Buffy.

"Just drop the subject B, it don't mean nothin'." She was already halfway, when she heard Buffy yell after her. "That means that it does mean something... idiot." Faith smirked and turned to look at her friend.

Giving her a wink, she saw the blonde give her a small smile. Seeing this, her smirk easily flowed into a smile, showing her dimples and sparkling her eyes. The two held this look for a moment, before Faith turned her back to the blonde, the smile not leaving her face for until she walked into the kitchen

* * *

Sam had just gotten a drink, when the backdoor opened and Faith walked in. She instantly noticed the smile that the brunette tried to hide. Acting like she didn't see it, she gave the brunette her own smile.

"Hey." Faith nodded, just like she had done with Buffy moments ago. Sam held up her drink. "Want one?" The brunette shrugged. "Sure."

Sitting down, Faith watched as Sam grabbed her a drink, her eyes wondering over to the backdoor. When Sam turned around, she quickly looked away, acting like she hadn't been looking at the door. Sam glanced through the window and saw a certain blonde enjoying the evening sun. Smirking, she sat down across Faith.

"So." Faith wondered why everyone started a sentence with that and nearly had the urge to say 'I'm fine, you?' Sam however, didn't like chit-chat either. "You sure that nothing's going on between you two?" The question caught Faith off guard and she was glad she hadn't chosen that moment to take a sip.

"I told ya-" "The girl drives serious stick." Sam finished for her, rolling her eyes. "I know. But Willow did too right? Before she threw the stick away?" Faith chuckled at the metaphor.

"Yeah, but Red ain't B." This time, she did take a sip. Sam just looked at her. "No, and I'm not Willow either, but I was into guys for a while too. Before I found out they were nothing but assholes that don't care about anyone but themselves." Faith flinched at the tone. Sam had let loose some of her past and that held a certain guy that made her feel worthless about herself.

She took a moment to consider this. In a way, she knew that there was something between her and Buffy. It had been there since the moment they met, but she was sure that Buffy was straight. Her track record showing just that. Though there had always been the flirting. At first, Buffy hadn't seem into it, but after beating the First and going through all these changes, they had gotten to the point of being friends who flirted with each other. Buffy even initiating it sometimes. Faith remembered the first time. It was also the first time that she had been speechless. Until Buffy pointed this out. Ever since, she had always had some kind of retort.

"Why'd you think that anyway?" She had been wanting to ask her this for a while, but kept forgetting. It wasn't the first time Sam pointed out the two had a thing for each other. She saw Sam shrug.

"The way you two flirt is a dead giveaway. Then the looks you give her and she gives you when you're not looking at each other. Besides, her best friend is gay. That makes you at least think about it and wonder what it's like right?" Faith nodded, frowning over the words that had come from the girl in front of her.

Sighing, she downed the last of her drink and pushed back her chair. Sam watched as she turned and headed for the door. Before disappearing completely, she turned back. "Y'know what. If you get B to turn. I'll get Kennedy off your back." Faith didn't wait for an answer and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Sam sitting there alone.

For about five minutes, when the door opened and Buffy came in, a distant look in her eyes. Calling out for her, she watched as Buffy turned, her gaze focused on her. "Do you like Faith?" It was a simple question. A direct question. Buffy blinked a few times, letting it sink in.

"Uhh, of course I like her. We're friends." Sam sighed, wondering how she got so dense. Dawn wasn't. "I mean like in an 'I wouldn't mind jumping in the sack with her' kind of way." She watched Buffy process this.

"I should've said that." It was a whisper, but Sam caught it. She didn't have time to wonder what she meant. "Why do you ask?" _Huh, she's not denying it._ "The flirting, the looks, everything." Sam knew that the blonde would wave all this off, or laugh it off and plain deny it. That's why she was acting like she didn't care. That and she actually did want Kennedy off her back.

Buffy sat down, a frown on her face. Sam watched, wondering why she hadn't already declared her crazy and stalked off. When Buffy turned to look at her, it hit her. "I do kind of." Sam was speechless. Buffy had just admitted that she wanted Faith. And not in a friend kind of way.

"W-wait what? You're saying you like like Faith?" She watched as Buffy looked at her, a smile slowly making its way on her face. "That was so worth it!" Sam blinked, wondering what the hell was going on. Buffy just started laughing. "You know, you have the same look Faith had when I rendered her speechless." Sam frowned.

"You just said that because you wanted to see how I look like when I'm speechless?" _Yeah right, you just said that to get off of this topic._ Buffy nodded vigorously and before Sam had a chance to say something else Buffy was out the door.

Sam was left at the kitchen table mulling over what had just happened.

* * *

It was a couple of hours later that same day and a group of Slayers were getting ready to go out and hunt. This group consisted of: Faith, Kennedy, Sumiko, Sam and Vera. They made sure to have groups no more than five. This way you could keep an eye on each other and you would know who was missing quicker.

"All right guys, listen up." Faith was all ready to go out and wanted to go through everything one more time. "Tonight is just a regular patrol. We ain't goin' out to find our new friends. If you do encounter one, call for backup right away. Best case scenario we get one alive. Remember rule number one. Don't die." Everyone nodded, the only one hearing this for the first time was Sam, who was pretty nervous already.

As they walked out, Faith let Kennedy take the lead and let herself fall back. Joining Sam, she decided to calm her down somewhat.

"How ya doin'?" Sam nodded, her breath coming out shaky. "Okay I guess. Kind of nervous with those Super Vamps around y'know." Sam kept looking around herself, all her senses on high alert. She wasn't keen on getting caught off guard, especially now.

"We got you're back here, kid." Faith hadn't stopped the habit of calling her kid, which bothered Sam to no end. Right now however, she was too nervous to even notice her nickname. Faith did notice this.

"Calm down all right? You ain't any good to us when you're a nervous wreck." Sam glanced at Faith. Seeing her next to her made her calm down considerably already and she knew that the brunette would keep her safe.

They walked in silence for about half an hour, no Vamp in sight. While this made the rest restless, it made Sam calm down. She didn't mind if they didn't bump into anyone tonight. Just as she was about to ask Faith how long before they would head back, she was stopped by said brunette putting a hand on her shoulder. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, probably heaving heard something.

"Get ready." Faith said this more to Sam than the others and removed her hand from Sam's shoulder.

When they came at them, Sam was glad that she wasn't alone and instantly learned that they did have their back. About seven vamps charged at them, coming from all sides. She heard Faith say something to her, but this was drowned out by the sound of her heart beating strongly against her chest.

One Vamp came directly for her, but Sam was ready. She easily blocked his first strike and this immediately told her that these were ordinary Vamps. Deflecting another blow, she felt adrenaline course through her whole body, making her moves smoother, her hits harder and her senses stronger. She had no trouble with this Vamp and as he moved in for another punch, she ducked down, grabbed his arm and flipped him down onto the ground. She didn't waste any time in staking him, just as she had learned in training and looked back up at the rest to see how they were doing.

She saw that six of the Vamps had already turned to dust, but that one was still standing, fending off every single one of them. _Looks like this is one of those Super Vamps._ Sam had to admit that the name was lame, but it kind of sounded like Uber Vamps.

She watched as Vera and Sumiko were knocked down and out. This left Faith and Kennedy to deal with him. Sam didn't know whether to help or let them be. The way they moved and fought told her that they were used to fighting together. Sam felt her heart beat strongly against her chest, her heart telling her to help, but her mind telling her to stay put.

When she saw that they were losing, she decided to listen to her heart. She hoped to God that the Vamp thought they were the only two left and didn't know she was sneaking up behind him. She remembered Faith's words about keeping him alive and kept this in the back of her mind.

She saw Kennedy move in, ready to strike and felt another boost of adrenaline. Kennedy moved in, jabbed the Vamp twice and finished with a round house kick that hit home. He stumbled backwards, letting out a groan. Sam took a breath and shared a quick glance with Faith. When they Vamp got closer to her and stopped to try and regain his balance, she moved in together with Faith.

Sam hoped that she understood what Faith meant. Crouching down, she lifted up her leg and aimed for one of his legs. She closed her eyes, hoping that he still didn't know that she was behind him and wouldn't jump out of the way. When she felt her foot collide with something, she reopened her eyes and saw him go down. Faith's part was next and she finished smoothly with a kick to his head, knocking him out effectively. Sam let out a deep breath, letting herself drop down on the ground.

Even though she had pretty much done nothing, Sam felt herself shaking. She watched as Kennedy went to check on Sumiko and Vera and felt herself being hoisted up by Faith. "Good job kid. Keep it together until we get back 'kay?" Sam nodded, not trusting her voice enough yet.

On the way back to the house, Sam felt the adrenaline wear off. She was tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed. She knew that that wasn't the case just yet. Looking at the Vamp that Faith was carrying; she was praying that he wouldn't wake up right now and bite down into her neck. She knew that her tiredness probably came from worrying too much and making herself crazy with all kind of bad scenarios. She couldn't help it, it was who she was.

Sam's worries disappeared only when they were back home and Faith came back from securely tying down the Vamp in their basement. Buffy and Willow had joined them in the living room to go over what happened and where to go from here. Sam barely paid attention, focusing more on trying to stay awake.

She caught snippets of the conversation and what it came down to was that they wanted to gather information. That was their first priority. Other than that, Sam barely heard anything else. To be honest, Sam didn't remember anything else. She woke up in her bed the next day, wondering how she got there.

* * *

And that is the end of this chapter. Let me know what you think and hopefully the next one will be up next week!


	6. Are You Ready? Cause Here They Come

So, first I have to say that I am really sorry for not uploading for a very long time. To be honest, senior year is crazy and with my job and all the homework and tests my schedule is pretty busy. I hope you can forgive me and still read the story. I know that some of you are and I thank you guys from the very bottom of my heart! Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

Previously on Friend or Frenemy: She caught snippets of the conversation and what it came down to was that they wanted to gather information. That was their first priority. Other than that, Sam barely heard anything else. To be honest, Sam didn't remember anything else. She woke up in her bed the next day, wondering how she got there.

* * *

Sam walked down the stairs, the familiar and soothing sound of voices floating up the stairwell. Her mind tried to recall last night, but it was all blank. She couldn't for the life of her remember what had happened when they had gotten home and how she had gotten into her bed. Running a hand through her hair, she tried to make it a little bit decent. Coming to a halt at the end of the stairs, she listened to where the voices were coming from. She wasn't surprised when she found them coming from the kitchen. Following her ears, she walked into the kitchen. As always it was bustling with girls trying to get as much food as they could, scurrying away the moment they did. Sam sighed to herself. Grabbing something to drink out of the fridge, she walked outside.

Sitting down in one of the lawn chairs, she took a sip from her drink. Sam closed her eyes, feeling the morning sun sink into her skin, warming her up. A small smile graced her features and she could feel herself relaxing. Her mind was still a blank, but she figured she could ask Faith what happened later that day.

"Morning Sam." Sam cracked open one eye. She smiled at the figure standing over her. "Mornin' Sumiko."

She watched as the shy girl sat down in the chair next to her, flinching slightly as she did. Sam frowned, remembering that the Super Vamp had knocked her out the night before.

"Are you okay? You got hit kinda hard last night." Sumiko nodded slightly, giving Sam a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Already healing." Sam nodded, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Hey, what happened when we got home last night? I don't really remember." Giving Sumiko a crooked smile, Sam rubbed the back of her head. The Asian girl giggled, an amused glint in her eyes.

"You fell asleep on the couch. Faith carried you upstairs." Sam nodded, nodding her a silent thank you. "Did I miss anything important. I got snippets, needin' info and goin' from there, but was there more?" Sam took another sip from her drink, keeping her eyes on the girl next to her.

Sumiko shook her head. "No, that was it. Faith kind of cut things short when she saw you fell asleep, wanted to get you to bed." Sam blinked, feeling some heat rise to her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she turned away from her friend and took another sip, this one a bit longer.

"Sam?" The brown haired girl hesitated before turning around. "Uhm, do you, l-like Faith?" It took a moment for Sam to let that question sink in. When it did, she felt like she got hit by a sledgehammer.

"Is that what everyone thinks?" Her question came out a bit harsher than intended. Sumiko immediately shook her head furiously. "N-no! I-I mean… People have been talking." Sam felt her heart start to beat faster, her breath hitched and she swore she was beet red.

Sumiko watched as all of this happened, taking everything in. "Samantha?" This seemed to snap her out of the trance she was in. "I-I don't like her… not-not like that!" Sam's breath was irregular and shallow. Sumiko saw her run her hands through her hair again and again, trying to get her to calm down. It was the first time the Asian girl had actually heard her stutter.

Placing a hand on her friends arm, Sumiko tried to calm her down. "Sam, it's okay if you do. You're not the only one." Sam gave her an 'are-you-kidding' look, before falling back down in the lawn chair and letting out a groan.

"I can't believe this." After this, she just sighed and laid there, letting everything sink in. Sumiko sat there, torn between what to do, her eyes filled with worry for her friend.

"I'm just going to…" She started, but halted, not even knowing how to finish that. Standing up, Sumiko took a couple of steps before turning back. Opening her mouth, she shook her head and closed it again, turning around and walking back into the house, leaving Sam worrying about how to fix all this.

* * *

During that same day, Sam had a feeling that everyone was looking at her, wondering if she really had a thing for Faith and if Faith felt the same. After what happened last night, Sam wouldn't blame them. Yes, she and Faith were close, but it wasn't like that. She was sure of it… but now she was starting to wonder about that. Her mind was somewhere else the entire day and her friends weren't the only ones that noticed.

When the evening rolled around and everyone had retreated to do something for themselves, Sam found herself thinking about a certain brunette and what was going on. She was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't even sense, hear or feel that same brunette sit next to her. It was only when she heard her name that she snapped out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw who was sitting next to her.

"Faith!" Said brunette flinched slightly at the high octave, the sound only fueling her worry. "Sam." The one word greeting made Sam's insides squirm, not wanting to know if Faith had heard about all the rumors. Clearing her throat, the young girl tried again.

"Uhm, what are you doing here?" She was sure that Faith could easily hear her heart beat against her chest with the amount of noise that it was making. She watched as Faith relaxed on the couch next to her, her eyes glued to her.

"Just hangin'. You?" Sam just looked at her, her brain not being able to come up with an answer to that simple question. It would've only taken one word, but she couldn't come up with any.

_Oh my God, this is just so wrong! What if she… or if she… shit, shit, shit, shit! Talk, say something, do something!_

But she just sat there, her eyes wide staring at the brunette Slayer. Faith frowned, now starting to really worry.

"What the hell is goin' on? You've been actin' all weird the whole freakin' day Sam. And I ain't the only one noticin'." Faith sat up straighter, her eyes filled with concern for the girl next to her. Sam opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Sam!" Faith's almost shout snapped her out of whatever she was in. "I'm sorry!" _Well, at least you got your voice back Sam, great job. Now she thinks you're a nutcase who has a huge fuckin' crush on her._

"Just talk ta me." Faith's voice was soft, the way it was when she was with Sam… only with Sam. The young girl sighed, running her hands over her face. "I-I just…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Everyone thinks we have somethin' goin' on." She expected a scream, a yell, something. But instead she got that chuckle.

Looking up, Sam frowned at her 'buddy'. "What's so funny? I tell ya somethin' like this and you go and… laugh!" This only caused Faith to actually laugh at her. Sam threw her hands up. "I give up. I don't get you. I thought I did, but I don't." Faith calmed down, laying her hand on Sam's arm.

"You're only hearin' this now? Are ya kiddin' me? B came to me with this too. It's just some crazy ass idea 'cause we're… y'know…" Faith trailed off, not sure how to finish it. Sam caught on though and did finish it, her heart slowing considerably. "Close?" Faith did something that was between a nod and a shrug which looked totally ridiculous to Sam.

The girl closed her eyes, hanging her head. "God, this is so… fuckin' embarrassin'." Turning to Faith, she saw the Slayer raise an eyebrow. "Are you kiddin' me with that look? If they already thought that all that _before_ you stopped a damn meeting and carried me up to bed… then…" This time Sam trailed off, finishing with a sigh.

It took Faith a moment to let this sink in. "Fuck." "Exactly." The two just sat there for a moment, both staring at a spot on the wall. That was until Faith broke it.

"Would it be that bad though? Y'know, you and me, doin' some somethin' somethin'." Two things crossed Sam's mind at that. The first was a thought that she had before. Where the hell did she learn how to talk like that and the second thought. No, just no.

Apparently the second thought showed on her face, because she heard Faith scoff. "Don't have ta give me that look y'know. It's like you wouldn't even want ta be caught dead with me." Sam sighed at the tone of Faith's voice.

"It's not that Faith. It's just… just… it's all just too much. Can we just forget we ever talked about this and move on or somethin'? I'm totally gonna go crazy if we continue this weird ass conversation."

Faith nodded. "Yeah you're right." A moment later. "Ya know, if ya ever want ta…" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing Sam to laugh. "Yeah, in you're dreams Slayer." The two shared a laugh and with that, everything was cleared up.

"I could use a smoke right now. Ya in?" Faith asked, already holding the pack in her hand. Sam nodded, following Faith outside seconds later.

* * *

When they would look back at their smoke later on, they would've probably regretted it. There were no troubles… initially. They shared a smoke, had some light conversation and were about to head back inside. However, a familiar tingle had stopped Faith dead in her tracks. Even Sam who apparently still didn't have the whole sensing thing under control felt something off about her environment. Sharing a look with Faith, the two turned back to look at the lawn in front of them, their eyes already having adjust to the darkness of the world.

Sam could feel her heart start to speed up just like it had done the night before. Right now however, she felt calmed, more at ease. Were it that Faith was with her or that she already had some kind of experience, she didn't know. Nor did she care. Both of them strained their eyes and ears for any movement or sound. Anything that would alarm them to someone watching them. What happened next, no one could've apprehended.

Both Faith and Sam saw them coming, both of them rushed inside, both of them warned everyone about what was coming. But they couldn't warn them about what was going to happen. As Sam quickly rushed around the house getting everyone up and downstairs, Faith closed the door and held it closed with all of her weight. There was something that told her that it wasn't going to be enough though. And she didn't exactly mean her blocking the door.

As she saw Sam and Buffy rushing down the stairs at the same time, she felt a stinging pain in her back and before she had time to adjust to whatever it was, she found herself skidding across the floor, all the way to the entrance to the kitchen. Coming to a halt, she stood up, trying to regain her balance. Looking up and towards the door, she already saw about three Super Vamps standing inside, grins on their faces.

"Looks like your rules don't apply anymore Slayer…s" He added as he looked around at everyone ready for a fight. He chuckled, his stance relaxed. Stepping forward, he slowly walked over to Faith.

At least that was his plan. A certain blonde got there before him. Coming to a halt, he apprehended them carefully. Glancing at the stairway, he saw a lot of girls glaring at him and his companions, keeping a steady gaze on them. Straightening up he looked at everyone.

"Whose ready for a fight?" It was pure chaos after that. Everyone knew that the Vamps that were inside were stronger, faster, better than any they had encountered before. It had taken three Slayers to take the one that was tied up in the basement down. Sam made a quick count, already counting about thirteen of them and she knew that wasn't all of them.

They kept rushing in, as if there was a line outside. Every time one was taken down, another one rushed in to take his place. In a way it reminded Sam of the knock out round she witnessed when she had just gotten here. The thought was literally smashed out of her when one of the Vamps took a swing at her and hit home. She felt herself being propelled across the room, smashing into a cabinet.

She didn't have a lot of time to get back up and back into the fight. She knew that everyone needed each other. She also knew that she couldn't do a lot. That didn't stop her from participating however. Doing a quick survey, she saw four Vamps in the room fighting about eight Slayers. Taking a shaky breath, Sam felt blood trickle down her forehead. Closing her eyes for a second, she willed the pain to the back of her mind and charged into an unsuspecting Vamp.

Crashing into her back, she slammed him to the ground, groaning at the impact. She quickly stood up, giving her Slayer companion the chance to decapitate him. It seemed to do the trick, as he still turned to dust. Giving the girl a look, they both nodded, ganging up for the next Vamp.

* * *

While Sam was in one room, Faith and Buffy had been drawn back into the kitchen. Both were fending off blows right and left, the Vamps getting in more hits than they were. Both of them were tiring quickly and they knew that they had to come up with some sort of plan. They were fighting five Vamps with the two of them. And even though they were good and had enough experience, they wouldn't be able to win. They wouldn't even be able to take one down.

"B, we need a plan here!" Faith screamed, ducking and dodging an oncoming blow. "I know! I'm thinking!" Buffy screamed back, receiving a blow. Her head snapped back and for a second she saw stars.

Groaning, the blonde gritted her teeth, knowing that what they were doing was futile. She glanced around, all the while dodging blow after blow. They were in the kitchen, one of the places which didn't exactly hold that many weapons. Yeah, kitchen equipment, but a knife to cut veggies wasn't going to cut through a walking dead guy. She dodged another blow, her mind working overtime in trying to come up with a plan. As she dodged another blow, she was pushed back into the fridge. Panicking, she saw the fist of one of them coming straight at her. She couldn't go left, couldn't go right. The only way was… down.

And that's what she did, she crouched down. She heard the sound of a fist slamming into the fridge and heard the groan coming from the Vamp above her. Pushing back against the fridge, Buffy pushed her whole weight forward, slamming into the Vamp in front of her. She screamed, more out of frustration than anything else and felt them both going down. She grabbed the knife that had fallen out of her grasp earlier and plunged it deep inside his chest. She knew this wouldn't kill her, but it would slow him down for a moment. That way she had some time to deal with his friends.

Quickly getting back up, she got ready to block and dodge oncoming blows, but she found both of his friends screaming because of something Buffy didn't know of. Looking on, she saw where the Vamp had hit the fridge. She didn't know a lot about technical things, but she was sure that he had hit some kind of cool element. It was spraying ice cold fluid right into their faces and they seemed to really hate the cold.

"Cold." It was as if something in Buffy's brain clicked. Turning towards Faith she called out. "Faith! I need you to duck when I tell you to!" Faith just screamed back that she would and kept fending off her Vamps.

The blonde turned towards the stove and turned it on, gas filling the kitchen in moments. Feeling around, she found that she didn't have a lighter or anything on her. "Damnit!" She finally had a plan and now it would fail because of this.

Looking around for something, Buffy suddenly found herself being pulled back by something or someone. Before she had time to respond, she found herself outside of the kitchen, with Faith standing next to her. Buffy looked at her, wondering how the hell she had gotten away from those Vamps. She didn't have any more time to think about anything, cause the next thing she knows, Faith tells her to duck, grabs a lighter out of her pocket, lights it and throws it back into the kitchen.

* * *

Sam had been fighting for a while now and her body was paying the price. The only thing she could do was block and dodge and even that wasn't enough. She wasn't trained enough, she didn't have enough experience and right now she was being used as a punching bag. Her head snapped back after yet another blow to the head and she found herself falling towards the ground, her sight fading in and out.

She groaned when she hit the ground, trying her hardest to keep herself from losing consciousness. Looking up, she saw the Vamp standing above her, looking down at her with absolute disdain. He growled, getting ready to pounce on her again. Sam closed her eyes, knowing what was going to happen next. But before the Vamp had time to do anything, an explosion close by caught his attention. Sam opened her eyes the moment she heard the huge bang, watching as a huge fireball whizzed by in front of her. Without even thinking about it, she stood up and shoved the Vamp who had lost interest in her towards the hallway into the stream of fire that was still going on. She watched as he stumbled in, screaming out in pain. Sinking to her knees, she watched as his screams died down and his body turned to ash.

Smiling slightly, she felt herself fall down to the ground, her vision going black.

* * *

I'm going to end things here. Figured I'd give you guys something because of the lack of updates! I hope that my schedule is going to slow down a bit and lets me write some more! Thanks for who evers still reading! TLITD


	7. Everyone Hates Hospitals

I hope you guys enjoyed reading the last chapter as much as I did writing it. And I'm kind of sorry for leaving you with a cliff hanger, but I just found it the perfect moment to stop and give you guys something to look forward to! Also why I updated sooner. I really enjoy reading all of your reviews and your speculations on who Sam really is and what her motives are, it makes me happy! Anyway, hope this chapter will satisfy you guys. On with the story!

* * *

Previously on Friend or Frenemy: Without even thinking about it, she stood up and shoved the Vamp who had lost interest in her towards the hallway into the stream of fire that was still going on. She watched as he stumbled in, screaming out in pain. Sinking to her knees, she watched as his screams died down and his body turned to ash.

Smiling slightly, she felt herself fall down to the ground, her vision going black.

* * *

"Sam! Damnit where are you!?" _Who the hell is callin' out for me?_ Slowly but surely, Sam opened her eyes. She was on the floor, her face facing the door that leads to the hallway. She blinked a couple of times, wondering where she was and what had happened. It took mere seconds to remember everything that happened and Sam shot up. Or at least she wanted to. In reality, she didn't move a muscle. She just laid there, staring at the doorway while she willed herself to move.

However, it seemed as if her brain wasn't sending out any signals to her muscles that told them do something. Taking a breath, she was hit with a disgusting smell. Something liked burned flesh, wood and other things she probably didn't want to know. Coughing, Sam had to resist the urge to throw up.

"Sam! Just… call out or somethin'." Sam recognized the voice. She would know that person anywhere. Opening her mouth, she tried to call out, but again, nothing happened. It was as if her body had completely shut down. _I can cough. _She thought, thinking it stupid that it was possible for her to cough but not possible for her to call out.

Her eyes were still focused on the doorway, hoping that for some reason Faith would come looking for her in the dining room. Sighing, she stopped trying to use her body. Choking up, all the emotions came rushing back to her. Without anything else to focus her mind on, she felt the tears stream down her face.

"Sam?" This time the voice sounded close, so close. Opening her eyes, she saw Faith hovering above her, her face black from what she guessed ash, cuts and bruises covering every inch of her body.

Yet again, she tried to open her mouth and say something, but she just couldn't. Nothing happened. The only sound that was heard was her choking up. "Damnit, don't worry. Just don't move okay?"

Sam was confused. _Don't move? Wh- _Her thought was cut off when she heard a gasp coming from behind Faith. Looking up, she saw Buffy standing behind the brunette Slayer, a hand covering her mouth. Sam started to panic. _What the hell is going on? _Faith noticed her distress.

"Sam, I'm serious, I need you to be very still okay?" Sam had enough in her to nod. She didn't know what was going on, she didn't know what was happening, all she knew was that Buffy was standing there with tears in her eyes and Faith was shaking and telling her to stay still. Her mind went through all kind of scenarios, before it finally went blank, as did her entire body.

* * *

The explosion seemed to do the trick. Faith had tossed the lighter in, grabbed Buffy and pushed them both towards the ground. Fire rushed over them as both held onto each other for dear life. It took minutes before it finally stopped and when both Faith and Buffy got back up, they saw the whole hallway scorched, dust covering the floor and a disgusting smell floating around. Coughing, they both tried not to throw up.

"The kitchen Faith." Faith turned to Buffy, wondering what the hell she was talking about, when she heard the flames still in there. "Damnit." But before Faith could even think about how to put this out, they both saw Willow walk towards them, her hands flickering with magic.

"I'll deal with this, go and check the girls." With that said, the Witch disappeared in the kitchen, leaving Faith and Buffy to go and check on everyone.

After the explosion, all the remaining Vamps fled the house, having lost several of their comrades. Faith and Buffy walked around, checking on the girls. They were both silent, assessing the damage. Both shared a look after finding a couple of the girls dead. They kept checking, kept looking. The girls who could were helping them, taking the ones that they could outside. Faith watched them go outside, wondering how they were going to get above this. She sighed, the pain in her whole body still being pushed down by the adrenaline in her body.

She closed her eyes briefly, trying to calm down. One thought however, made her heart beat faster than it ever had, made her adrenaline rush back and almost made her panic. "Buffy!" The blonde looked up, knowing that when Faith used her full name she meant business. "Where's Sam?" It took a moment to register what Faith had asked. "I don't know. I haven't found her yet." She saw Faith start to panic.

The brunette turned around, saw all the debris lying around and just started plunging through them, calling out her friend's name. "Sam!" She kept this going, Buffy helping her, both trying to find her. "Sam! Damnit where are you!?" She looked around the room, knowing she wasn't here. She walked back into the hallway, her breath hitching in her throat. "Sam! Just… call our or somethin'." Again, she looked around her, her eyes coming to a halt on the door to the dining room.

"Buffy!" She rushed towards the door, stopping dead in her tracks when she reached it. "Sam?" her voice was soft, lost as she looked at the crippled body of her friend lying on the floor.

She saw Sam look at her and open her mouth to say something. Nothing came out, except for a choking sound. Faith took a breath. "Damnit, don't worry. Just don't move okay?" Once more, she looked over her friend, her eyes halting when she heard Buffy gasp behind her. She saw Sam's eyes widen and panic fill them when she looked at Buffy and Faith knew that she was wondering what the hell was going on. But she had to stay still if she were to…

"Sam, I'm serious, I need you to be very still okay?" Faith sounded calm, but her body language said different. She was shaking and she knew that Buffy wasn't exactly helping behind her. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Sam.

"You're going to be…" She trailed off as she saw Sam slip into unconsciousness. "B, I'm going to need your help here." This time she didn't try to hide the tremor in her voice. Buffy crouched down next to her. Looking at each other, both were thinking the same thing. They would have to worry if they were going to save her life.

A bookcase had fallen on top of Sam, covering the lower half of her body. Both Faith and Buffy knew how heavy it was and it could easily crush someone. As far as Faith could tell, that wasn't the only damage. There was a blood pool underneath Sam's legs which was growing bigger with every passing minute. Sam's entire upper body was filled with bruises, cuts and she might have broken a thing or two. Taking a deep breath, both Slayers decided to lift the bookcase first and assess the damage after that. Neither of them was a doctor, but they had seen enough to know a thing or two.

"On three. One, two, three." Both of them groaned, feeling every muscle in their body telling them to stop. Faith screamed as they threw the bookcase off of Sam, Buffy and herself panting as it landed beside her. Looking back over at Sam, Faith's heart skipped a beat.

"Faith…" Buffy trailed off, both of them looking down at the young girl. The bookcase had fallen on top of her, broken her leg, but that wasn't what scared the both of them. Sticking out of her right hip and right leg were pieces of wood. She was impaled when the bookcase had fallen down on her.

"Jesus." Faith breathed, taken a step back. Buffy reached out, trying to calm both of them down. "We need to get her out of here now Faith. Now!" Faith nodded, trying to get her mind off of what was right in front of her and on what she had to do.

"I'll take her to the hospital. You… stay here and help the other girls. I'll meet you there later okay?" Faith's voice was shaking, just like her body. Buffy nodded. "Try to keep everything still." Faith nodded, grabbed Sam the best as she could and was out the door in moments, leaving Buffy standing there, looking after her, her heart aching for her.

* * *

Faith tuned the doctor out, having no clue about what she was saying anyway. She knew that Sam was in critical condition and that she had to fight for her life. That's all she really needed to know. The rest didn't matter, they could figure that out once Sam was stable.

Willow, who had been sent after the two by Buffy listened to the doctor intently. "She's had major trauma, her right leg and hip have been impaled, her right ankle is broken, there is a massive amount of internal bleeding, not even talking about what kind of head trauma she could have. They're operating on her as we speak, but even if she makes it… there's no telling if she'll survive the next twenty-four hours which are critical." Willow nodded. "And, if she does?" She had to ask, knowing that Sam had a much bigger chance of recovering due to her Slayer healing.

The doctor contemplated this for a moment. "If she does… she could make a full recovery with proper care. But if I were you I wouldn't get my hopes up." Willow thanked the woman, taking a seat next to Faith after she had walked away. "Wouldn't get our hopes up huh?" Faith imitated, scoffing.

"She has to be honest Faith. Besides, she doesn't know about Sam's abilities." Faith merely nodded, wringing her hands together. Willow looked her over. "Why don't you let them check you out? You've been through a lot Faith. She's still in surgery and I'll stay here." Initially, Faith shook her head, not a bone in her body wanting to leave her friend.

Though if she had to listen to her bones, she should get checked out. Giving Willow a hard look, she said. "You're staying here?" The redhead nodded. "And you're not leaving?" Another nod. "For nothing?" Again a nod. "And when you know something and I ain't back yet you'll find me?" "I promise." Faith gave her one last hard look, before abruptly standing up and leaving, knowing that if she looked back she wouldn't go.

Willow watched her go, sighing softly. "You have to make it Sam… for Faith." She whispered to the closed doors a few feet away from her.

* * *

"All right!" Buffy called out, getting everyone's attention. They had moved everyone that they could outside, the ones remaining inside the ones that couldn't be helped anymore. She looked over the group that had decreased considerably. From what she saw, they had at least lost fourteen girls. And Buffy new that wasn't all of them.

"I know that what happened is hard for everyone of us. But right now, I want you guys to be strong and if you can help your friends to the van. We need to get everyone to the hospital." She watched as girls leaned on each other, heading for the van, girls crying, girls just staring straight ahead.

Buffy had lied before. About that they had been through worse. The blonde had a feeling that this would be ten times worse than anything they had faced before. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to one of the girls, Clara and helped her up and over to the van, her mind straying to a certain brunette that was at the hospital at this moment.

* * *

It was that same night that Faith, Willow, Buffy, Kennedy, Dawn, Kelly, Sumiko were still waiting for Sam to come out of surgery. Flora had left earlier, taking some of the girls that were good to go home again and staying there, helping everyone try to get everything back in order again. Everything was silent, the only sound being made by Faith's pacing up and down the hallway. Buffy sighed softly.

"Faith, come sit down." Faith shook her head. "I can't. I can't just sit there while she's." Faith turned around from her friends, every muscle in her body tense. No one except for Buffy had ever seen Faith like this and she knew that the brunette saw it as a weakness.

Standing up, she moved over to her friend. "It's okay." She whispered, her hand resting on Faith's back. Faith glanced at her, before shaking her head again. "It's not, I should've been there. I shouldn't have left her."

"You had no choice. You were thrown across the room Faith. We were both separated from the rest because they knew that it would make the rest weaker. It's not anyone's fault but theirs."

Buffy's words didn't chance Faith's feelings, but at least she had calmed down somewhat. Faith sighed, running a hand through her hair. She abruptly turned around, stalked back to her chair and sat down, her eyes focused on the ground. Buffy and Willow shared a glance, both worrying about what was going on insides Faith head right now. Buffy was about to walk back to her seat, when the doors behind her opened and one of the surgeons stepped out into the hallway.

Everyone was immediately on their feet, Faith next to Buffy in a second. "How is she?" Buffy had expected it to come out rough, but it came out awfully quiet. The surgeon gave them a small smile.

"Surgery went good, we were able to stop all the bleeding and remove the wood from her leg. All we can do now is wait for the next twenty-four hours and hope she makes it." Buffy nodded, relief flooding her body. "Can we see her?" The surgeon nodded. "Just one at a time for now." With that, he left, telling them that if they had any more questions they shouldn't hesitate to ask them.

Everyone looked at Faith, silently telling her to go in. Faith however, was nailed to the floor, her eyes fixed on the door that led to Sam's room. "Faith go ahead, we'll be outside." Faith looked at Buffy, panic clearly showing in her eyes. Buffy frowned, knowing what Faith was about to do and she'd be damned if she let her.

Placing herself in front of her and the door, Buffy grabbed Faith's shoulders. "Now you listen to me. You're not going to be running away this time okay? You're going to go in there to your friend, the one that needs you more than anything right now. You need to see that she's going to be fine and she needs to know that you're there. Faith I'm serious, I am not going to let you run away, ruin this." Faith swallowed the lump in her throat, silently thanking Buffy for seeing right through her.

"We will be right here if you need us. You don't have to stay in there for hours okay? Just go inside, see her and when you feel you've seen enough, you'll come out again and one of us is going on. We'll all go in, we'll all keep an eye on her. Now… go." As Buffy said that, she gave her a slight push, enough to make Faith's feet work again and walk towards the door.

Taking a shaky breath, Faith turned the door handle and stepped inside.

* * *

I actually like this end… again kind of a cliff hanger, but I just like doing those. I hope you don't hate me and I hope you liked this chapter. And please don't hate me for what I did to Sam, it just fit… I'm having some feelings clear up in the next chapter! Hope to see you then. TLITD


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